1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tools for gathering and disposing of yard debris and other similar material.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are several types of commercially available rakes that can pick up gathered debris, such as leaves, grass cuttings, thatch, flower or plant clippings, even pine needles and cones, and deposit the debris into a collection bag or a wheelbarrow. For example, rakes comprising two rake heads operable to grasp debris are well known. One such rake is a combination of two rakes with their rake heads facing each other and their handles joined scissors style at a point somewhere along their handles. The rake heads are caused to close on the debris by forcing the handles towards each other. Another type of a rake comprises two rake heads, symmetrical in structure, mutually hinged and connected to a handle. The handle supports mechanism for opening and closing the two rake heads, which comprises a pair of cables connected to the rake heads which are pulled or slackened to open and close the rake heads. Yet another rake comprises a sleeve, a first tine head secured on the sleeve, a second tine head rotatably secured on the sleeve and rotatable from an open position to a folded position, and a means for rotating the second tine head towards the first tine head at the folded position. However, these prior art rakes are complicated and difficult to use, non-ergonomic, and also have low pick-up volumes.
It is an object of the present invention to mitigate or obviate at least one of the above-mentioned disadvantages.